Pruning the Family Tree
by kajal123
Summary: Tales of the forgotten Blacks... Note: I was planning on updating this and adding Sirius, Andromeda, etc., but not until I get some reviews.


**Halloween, 1929**

_Midnight. The young man ran for his life, the angry howls of the wolf echoing in his ears. Trying hard to ignore the pain in his side, he ran on and on, until finally he came to a clearing. Oddly enough, there was a little hut in the clearing. Marius did not have much time to think – the howls were coming closer and closer. He noticed that the door was slightly ajar and made a split second decision… he would rather face anything other than the wolf. He opened the door, ran inside, and locked the door. Pausing to catch his breath, Marius looked wildly around the room, which appeared to be a dimly lit kitchen. There didn't seem to be anyone else in the hut, which was quite sparsely furnished, but reasonably clean. Despite its rundown look, Marius knew that the hut's previous owner had been quite powerful. The magic in the room was palpable. This was old magic, ancient magic, but Marius felt safe, even though he had no powers of his own. He recognized that the magic "felt different" from that in his home. His parents' and siblings' brand of magic was much darker and more dangerous…_

**June, 1929**

_After years of being bullied by his siblings when they had returned from Hogwarts for the holidays, Marius had had enough. Nervous as he was about being able to survive on his own without magic, he couldn't live at number 12 Grimmauld Place any longer. There had to be somewhere that he could go. He was a squib, but not stupid by any stretch of imagination. So one night, not long after his elder brother Pollux had returned from his final year at Hogwarts with presents for everyone else and a look of disgust for Marius, the young boy had packed his belongs and snuck off in the middle of the night, stopping only to kiss his baby sister, Dorea, farewell. She was the only other member of his immediate family who had demonstrated any sense, young though she was. He slipped a letter under her pillow. Dorea, who had just completed her 1__st__ year at Hogwarts, was a Slytherin, but kept to herself, and did not exhibit the streak of insanity that ran through and almost consumed most of the members of the "Noble and Most Ancient House of Black". On the other hand, Cassiopeia, his elder sister, who had just finished her sixth year and fancied herself to be a seeress, liked to bully muggleborns at school and told Marius that she had seen "great misfortune in his future and [that] he would never amount to anything". Marius sniffed. She and Pollux could rot for all he cared. He kissed Dorea on the forehead, and was gone. _

_Although Marius had been saving up his allowance for months, he had little more than 100 galleons, which was quickly used up, despite his attempts to spend as little as possible. He then considered the possibility of turning to the "black sheep of the family". He first decided to go to his uncle Phineas, since he could not afford to go to Great Aunt Isla, who lived in France; or his cousin Cedrella who had recently eloped with Septimus Weasley and according to her last letters, was currently in Salem, Massachusetts, visiting one of Septimus' six brothers. "No matter," he thought. "I can visit 'Ella later… she'll be back soon, to give birth to the baby." Cedrella was 7 months pregnant, with her first child. "If it is a boy, he will be named Arthur, for Septimus' grandfather and Marius for the apple of my eye," she had said fondly. 'Ella was his favorite cousin, and as far as he was concerned, his only cousin. Yes, he would visit her soon. But for now, Marius set off to visit uncle Phineas, the "muggle lover"… _

**July, 1929**

_Marius stood in front of the grave, tears in his eyes. He had only gotten to spend a month with his uncle, and now he was dead. Phineas had been killed by his own brother! Crazy uncle Sirius, whose eldest son Arcturus had was engaged to marry a "lovely pureblooded witch from a well respected family" had decided to eliminate his brother from the family tree completely, so that Black family's reputation would once again be intact. Marius was surprised to find out that Phineas had left his entire fortune to him. It was not much, but he could live comfortably for some time. He also now had enough money to visit cousin 'Ella, who had returned from Salem and had settled in a small village on the south coast of England called Ottery St. Catchpole…_

**August, 1929**

_She was beautiful. He had first set eyes on her at a dinner at Septimus' aunt's house to celebrate the birth of Arthur Marius. She was a friend of the family, who had recently completed her final year at Beauxbatons Academy in France. She was Septimus' fifth cousin, and would be staying with them for the summer, while searching for a job. She was only a few years older than him, but he felt like a child in her presence. She was classy, intelligent, and would most likely never be interested in him. Still, he watched her out of the corner of his eye, cooing happily at little Arthur, and he hoped that one day he would find the courage to speak to her. As he watched her, Cedrella smiled knowingly, and leaned down to whisper in his ear: "her name is Belle…" _

**September, 1929**

_Marius Black loved spending time with Belle. They could talk for ages about anything. He told her all about his awful family, and she told him about her wonder years at Beauxbatons. Not once did she act superior to him because of her magical talent. She began to teach him some magical concepts here and there, for which he did not need a wand. They would often take long walks together, and she would point out magical flowers, herbs, and fungi, and explain their magical properties. At night, they would look at the stars. One night, as she was pointing to various constellations and explaining the myths behind them, he softly pressed his lips against hers. Belle smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder and resumed her story. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her… he was head over heels in love. _

**October, 1929**

_Belle left for a week to visit her family and friends in France. When she returned, they resumed their walks and star gazing as before, but she was somewhat aloof. Marius noticed that his beloved had dark circles under her eyes and had lost some weight. On October 30__th__, in the early evening, he proposed. To his surprise and disappointment, tears welled up in her eyes and she refused, saying that she could not be with him. They argued until the sun began to fall below the horizon and she became pale. Belle let out a whimper and ran into the forest near Septimus and Cedrella's home. Marius chased her deeper and deeper into the forest, when she suddenly stopped, with her back to him. Cautiously, he approached her. As the full moon began to rise in the night sky, his beloved began to sprout fur, and writhe in agony. Marius realized a second too late that something was horribly wrong..._

**Midnight, Halloween, 1929 **

_She had bitten him. Marius sat in the kitchen of the dilapidated hut, examining his wound. He was safe in this hut - powerful wards had been set up by the previous owner. He thought about Belle. That night, she had become a "beast". But still, he loved her. In his eyes, she could do no wrong. Dizzy from the loss of blood, Marius fell onto the floor. He thought of Belle's delicate face, and then remembered her sharp teeth biting his wrist. Then, he knew no more._

**Dawn, Halloween, 1929**

_Marius awoke at dawn to find Belle kneeling on the floor next to him, weeping. "I'm sorry!" she wailed. "Now you know why I can't be with you…I'm a monster! And now I've ruined your life too…" Marius struggled to sit up, still woozy from the blood loss. He took her face in his hands. "I don't hate you, love, I never will." "No one will never know our secret. I will always love you, Belle." "Lupin," she said in a quavery voice. "What?" he asked. Belle smiled sadly. "Lupin is my family name. When I went to France to visit my family, I also ran into my old fiancée. He was a friend of my family, and stayed with us for a few nights. One night, I couldn't sleep, so I went out into the yard. Apparently after I left him, he had a nasty run-in with a werewolf. He bit me and I fainted. In the morning, when I woke, he was standing over me smiling. When I asked him what had happen, he laughed at me and said that it was a good thing he had bitten me. He claimed that I deserved it, and that it was fitting since I came from a family of Lupins, or wolves. He left, and I packed my bags to come back here the very next day. Marius stared at Belle in shock. "If you don't want to marry me, Marius, I won't think badly of you for it," she said sadly. He shook his head, determined. "Nothing could ever keep me away from you Belle," The next day, they said their farewells to Septimus and Cedrella, kissed baby Arthur goodbye, and set off to find a new home. Marius was happy – he would no longer have to deal with the Black Family. He would substitute the name Lupin for Black, and no one in his old family would ever know his secret…_


End file.
